INTERVIEW: Thankful to the club for showing faith in me – Andrew Le Page

Box Hill United’s versatile frontman Andrew Le Page will be donning the all-blue for the 2019 NPL2 season, and said the decision was a no-brainer.

A natural leader in the final third of the pitch, Le Page arrived at Wembley Park in 2017 with a strong NPL pedigree.

A key cog in Avondale FC’s NPL promotion-winning squad in 2014, he also captained Brunswick City FC in 2016, displaying a superb goal-scoring form along the way.

In 2018, Le Page scored no less than six league goals for Box Hill and was largely deployed up front as an attacking midfielder.

Speaking about his new contract at United, he said, “I am thankful that the club has shown faith in me. I have had a good experience since I have been here. So, there was no reason to look anywhere else. “It’s been a bit tough in the last couple of years, but the club is heading in the right direction and trying to do good things. I want to be a part of that.”

Le Page is motivated to go the extra mile more than ever, under United’s new management. He explained, “It’s a fresh start for everyone. I am looking forward to what Con (head coach) and Michael (assistant coach) bring to the squad and the club in general. Hopefully, we can build on their experiences.”

Looking back on the promotion-winning campaign with Avondale, Le Page highlighted what it takes to script a success of that magnitude, saying, “The common denominator is a strong bond between the players, and obviously hard work and a good culture. A good squad helps, but it is not the be-all and end-all.”

Reviewing the United group, the 26-year-old said, “I think everyone will be better for the year than in 2018. We had a younger side, a bit inexperienced. So, if everyone can build on that next year, we’ll improve as a group.“It’s important that the guys in the younger bracket, when they come into next year, ultimately bring something more and we’ll benefit from that.”

Le Page added, “Last year, we made it clear that there is no young player or old player. Everyone is in the same playing field here, which is something I love. Everyone can have his fair say. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are.”